Work to repair the Lower Russell Road levee along the Green River in Kent has been pushed out a year by King County officials because a preferred project plan has yet to be chosen.
The original project schedule anticipated selection of a preferred repair alternative by the King County Flood Control District in February, according to an update on Friday from the flood district. Due to on-going evaluation of different project alignments, this decision is now expected in June.
Construction work along rivers cannot take place during the rainy season, and permit conditions require that work in the river only occur in the summer between July 1 and August 31 when Chinook salmon protected by the Endangered Species Act are not present. Because of these constraints the delay moves the construction of the project from 2016 to the summer of 2017.
The Lower Russell Road Levee setback project is along the right (east) bank of the Green River between South 212th Street and Veterans Drive/South 228th Street. The 1.4-mile-long levee improvement project will replace an old levee and revetment that do not meet current engineering design standards.
The new levee will be set back from the river, where feasible, and better protect residential and commercial development behind the levee, while also improving riparian and aquatic habitat along the Green River for fish and wildlife. The project will integrate existing road, trail and park amenities and enhance existing recreational opportunities.
The project is funded with $17.4 million in King County Flood District funds. Additional funding for project components that will enhance habitat and recreational opportunities is possible through partnerships with the the state Department of Ecology, the Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The King County Rivers and Floodplain Management Section is managing the project in partnership with the city of Kent.
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